Abe Election Raises Hopes for Korea-Japan Ties Let the End for Koizumi Be a New Beginning Abe Elected Japanese Prime Minister Japanese Official Says Reconciliation Is Two-Way Street Seoul Declines Japan's Offer of Chuseok Summit Japanese PM to Visit Seoul in mid-October What Can We Expect From the Korea-Japan Summit? Realpolitik Is the Only Way Forward With Japan

A Korea-Japan summit is highly likely to come even earlier than expected after new Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe took office on Tuesday. President Roh Moo-hyun and Prime Minister Abe agreed in a phone conversation Thursday to meet “at an appropriate time” to discuss ways to improve strained bilateral ties, presidential spokesman Yoon Tae-young said. Yoon added both countries’ foreign ministries will discuss the details and timing. They are mulling two options: a meeting on the sidelines of the APEC summit in November in Hanoi, Vietnam, or a visit to Seoul by the Japanese premier.

However, the situation could still change since Abe has not clearly said whether he will visit the militarist Yaskuni Shrine, where class-A war criminals are honored among Japan’s fallen. Seoul-Tokyo summits have been on ice since Abe’s predecessor Junichiro Koizumi, whose persistent worship at the shrine alienated Japan’s neighbors, came to Seoul in June last year.

(englishnews@chosun.com )